Israel to open treatment centre for injured Gazans

Jerusalem, Jan 18 (Xinhua) Israel Sunday said it would open an emergency medical centre at the Gaza border to provide treatment for the wounded Palestinians.The centre, at the Erez border crossing, is aimed at “treating wounded civilians from Gaza”, Israel’s welfare and health ministries said in a joint statement.

The initiative is part of Israel’s humanitarian efforts to help Gaza civilians, it added.

According to the statement, the medical centre would be operated by Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service and would “be fully equipped”.

The emergency medical centre comes on the first day of a unilateral Israeli ceasefire in Gaza. As per the deal, Israeli troops would fire only in response to attacks from the Palestinian side.

However, the rocket attacks at southern Israel from the strip continued Sunday morning.

More than 1,000 people have been killed and over 5,000 others wounded since Israel’s Operation Cast Lead began on Dec 27 against the Gaza militants.